The Legend of Korra : Big Band Man
by mythos43213
Summary: Tying a few ends together here. And we find out what happened with another character too good to let die.


A Legend of Korra Fanfiction

Big Band Man

By

Joshua Trujillo

Thank the spirits they weren't heels. Korra squirmed in her seat, which drew a glance from Asami in the drivers seat, so she stopped. If Asami _had_ insisted on heels, Korra would have…well…it would've caused words. It had only been a couple weeks since their kiss in Asami's office. Korra could feel the electric tingle from the other's lips that had nothing to do with the ShockHands she still produced for the nonbenders in the police force. The thought of the former Equalist arms, no pun intended, brought her mind back around to Mako. He was picking up Bolin and meeting them at the new club in town.

"It's an odd name," Asami said as they pulled up.

In neon pink, large as the entrance, read 'Hair of the Polar Bear Dog'.

"Naga sheds," Korra said as she brushed a hand through her hair as she got out of the car. "But I don't understand why someone would want to put it up in lights. And Naga's white, not pink."

"I think, perhaps, it has something to do with the nature of the entertainment," Asami tried to hide her smile. "Than actually getting the color of your companion right."

A sad smile spread over Asami's face. She reached over and adjusted Mako's red scarf, which hung loosely about Korra's bare shoulders. Asami had picked out the outfit, of course. Form fitting to Korra's well muscled body, with spaghetti straps at her shoulders, it flowed gently and slightly outward from her knees to swish playfully around her ankles. But the color!

Korra caught a glimpse of them both in the mirrored front of the building. The color of the dress began light blue, then faded to almost an airbender white briefly around her knees, then deepened to a sunset, firebender orangish red. Asami had pulled off her own emerald green gem, off the shoulder number that ended around her own knees and sparkled with her every move. And of course, she looked fabulous. A noise made them both turn as the valet moved off in Asami's car. Mako and Bolin pulled up on the motorcycle and Korra rolled her eyes. Mako seemed to be attached to that thing. Both boys straightened themselves as they got off. Wearing identical suits, Mako's vest was red, Bolin's was green. Korra saw that Asami had the same idea and they had to stifle chuckles.

Mako approached Korra and blushed slightly as Korra played the demure maid. Which, in all honesty, she was. But being demure had never been her biggest trait. Still, she liked the naked want that crawled over Mako's face as he looked at her. He coughed and turned to Asami.

"As always Asami, you look lovely," he bowed to her. "And the outfit you chose for Korra is stunning."

"It's the colors that make it," Asami walked to Bolin, who began to look a little fearful. "You boys could do with a little fashion advice."

"Bolin's got the Fire Ferrets to handle and I'm on the police force now," Mako shrugged as he set his arm around Korra's waist. "Fashion is a little-"

"She meant," Korra interrupted before Mako could stick his foot in it. "That the color coordination?"

Korra flipped the end of the scarf at his vest. Asami straightened Bolin's tie and smirked.

"That's the kind of thing that could use improvement," she finished.

"Maybe _I_ shouldn't be the one you bring on this date?" Asami whispered to Bolin, whose eyes grew wide.

He gave her a sharp shake of the head. A smile curled around Asami's lips. Apparently, the secret that everyone knew wasn't known to Mako. Interesting.

"Bolin has a girlfriend," Mako grinned at his brother. "I bet she could tell him a thing or two."

With her hand still on his chest, Asami snorted a little at the feel of Bolin's heartbeat jumping several notches. She nodded to herself and, as she turned to the other two, slid her arm through Bolin's.

"Well, since she's not here," she purred at Bolin coyly. "Maybe you could be my date for the evening. I promise I won't bite."

"Much," Korra barely said under her breath.

The four of them made their way into the swanky club, festooned with palms and mirrors. While the lights made the club easy to see in and get around, the colors of the sconces threw the whole club into the sepia range. At least that's what Asami's photographers would call it. The maitre-de smiled happily at the new head of Future Industries and quickly led them to a half moon shaped table. Asami sat in the middle with Korra to her left, Mako on the other side of Korra and Bolin to Asami's right. The table itself had a thick glass top. Korra was surprised to see a pair of koi swimming happily in the little habitat of their table.

"It's the Waterbender table," Asami nudged Korra. "I thought it would put you a little at ease."

Korra smiled, reached over and gave Asami a peck on the cheek. The touch shocked her down to her painted toes and Asami could feel the heat begin in her chest, but since she had little to cover the blush, she tried to fight it down. Korra tactfully turned to Mako and Asami blew out a breath as she turned to Bolin.

"How's it been going with you?"

Bolin gulped down the half of a roll he had stuffed in his mouth and shot Mako a glance.

"Don't worry about him," Asami said quietly. "How in the world did you end up with Lin Bei Fong?"

"I…uh…" Bolin found it hard to meet-

_Oh crap!_ his thoughts jarred at him. _Her eyes are the same green as Lin's! Well, no, they're not the same. Lin's are emerald green and Asami's are jade green and wow she's really pretty and and and-_

Bolin found his own blush recurring and he thought quickly, "It was really an accident. I mean, I did what you told me to do and it kinda went downhill from there."

"Are you happy?" Asami asked, after a long moment.

Bolin calmed, then nodded. She sat back as the lights began to dim.

"Then that's all that really matters, I suppose."

"What's the entertainment?" Mako asked. "I didn't catch it when we-"

The curtain on the stage split slowly and a man came out in a dark purple suit, accented expensively with black and silver. He flipped his trademarked quiff to one side and smiled as he grabbed the mike stand.

"Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!" the man stepped out, took notice of the table and never missed a beat. "My name is Tahno and I will be your band leader for this evening. I see we have notables in the audience. Please, for the safety of everyone involved, especially Miss Uhvatar here, let them have their night in peace and quiet."

At some unspoken cue, the rest of the curtain rose and a large band broke into a selection of the hits from around the Kingdoms. Korra, angry at the bastard for pointing her out like that, gradually calmed as Tahno crooned his way through something from the Fire Nation. Mako leaned into Korra.

"I didn't know he could sing."

"Me neither!" she replied. "Asami, did you know he would be here?"

"No," she shook her head. "Future Industries has really no interest in night clubs. He _is_ rather good, isn't he?"

"He's okay," Bolin groused.

Tahno switched to something vaguley familiar from the Earth Kingdom as several dancers trotted their way out. They wore short, cream colored dresses that ended far above where Korra thought hemlines should end and each had short hair topped with a similar colored beret. She'd seen some women going around like that lately, so it must have been the fashion. And she thought _she_ was taking a chance! Asami looked at her as she chuckled, but the waiter saved them all as dinner arrived.

Shellfish seemed to be on the menu. None of them, not even Asami, could identify what everything was. This, however, was the kind of place where one could pay big dollars for a shellfish dinner so the cook could carefully, and patiently, prepare a dish that tasted like no shellfish whatsoever. Korra dug in. A little over halfway through dinner, Tahno took a break and followed his dancers behind the curtain. After several minutes, and wearing a white towel across his shoulder, he came out again and pulled up a seat on the other side of the table. He patted at his face a couple times.

"Oh, don't look at me like that Uhva-" Tahno chuckled at the look shot his way. "Okay! Okay, I'll stop saying that. It's just funny that I can get you riled like that."

"I do have a question," Bolin waved a claw at the man. "I know you were one of the few people that didn't _want_ Korra to return your bending. Why not?"

Tahno looked at the ground for a couple minutes, then stood. He reached over to the plate of clams Korra had corralled and took one. He chucked it back and chewed appreciatively.

"Amon took my bending because I was weak," Tahno wiped his face with the towel. "I wasn't the bender I should have been, so taking that away only took away something useless. I was angry at myself, at Korra, at Amon. Really at anyone within reach, but then I realized that I needed to get better."

"So," Korra began. "You started singing?"

"No sweetlips," Tahno smirked. "I've always been a helluva singer, just as I was a helluva bender. I just got an opportunity to get this gig and it's really turned my life around. Given me a new lease, as it were."

The man seemed to gather himself. He flipped his quiff around until it was almost a quaff and gave the whole table a winning smile.

"You're Bolin, right?" Tahno asked. "You should bring your girl around! She's an older lady, right?"

"Older?" Mako looked at his brother.

Bolin and Asami both waved their hands back and forth trying to stop the inevitable.

"Yeah," Tahno nodded thoughtfully. "She's really good looking! Though, she's got these scars on her face, she's really taken-"

"You're dating my boss?" Mako jumped up.

Asami hid her face with one hand and Korra began to growl at Tahno. Of course Tahno knew who Lin Bei Fong-

Korra started. Bolin…and…Lin Bei Fong?

"That's right Uhvatar!" Tahno chuckled as Korra tugged on Mako's arm to get him to sit down. "It's only gonna get more interesting from here on out! Stick around for the second act, it'll be fun!"

Tahno laughed all the way backstage. A few minutes later, the curtains rose…


End file.
